Lions & Tigers & Bears Oh My! Party TRAIL MIX from Chef Victoria Love

chocolate chips

🥗Healthier: dark chocolate

💰Cheaper: carob chips

Dark chocolate has more antioxidants and less sugar.

nuts

🥗Healthier: seeds

💰Cheaper: peanuts

Seeds are lower in calories and peanuts are a budget-friendly nut.

dried fruit

🥗Healthier: fresh fruit

💰Cheaper: canned fruit

Fresh fruit provides more nutrients, while canned fruit can be more affordable.

granola

🥗Healthier: oat clusters

💰Cheaper: oats

Oat clusters can provide similar texture with less sugar.

Introduce the recipe for lions and tigers and bears oh my trail mix.

Mention the occasion of graduation and the theme of The Wizard of Oz.

Explain that the trail mix can be tailored for any event, suggesting using animal crackers and Teddy Grahams.

State that the sous chef chose cranberries, apricots, and white chocolate chips for the mix.

Emphasize that trail mix can be customized based on preferences or event themes.

Suggest using equal parts of each ingredient, specifically 1/2 cup of each.

Prepare a large bowl to mix the ingredients together.

Cut the dried apricots in half to ensure they are bite-sized and similar in size to the other ingredients.

Combine all ingredients in the large bowl and mix them together.

Weigh the trail mix on a scale to determine the yield for packaging.

Fill a cellophane bag with the trail mix, noting that one cup weighs 4.20 ounces.

Adjust the amount in the bag to reach a desired weight of 5 ounces.

Calculate how many bags can be made from the recipe, yielding three 5-ounce bags and almost three ounces left over.

Explain how to scale the recipe up for larger quantities, such as for 30 bags.

Mention the use of curling ribbon to match school colors for packaging.

Advise that the trail mix can be made ahead of time and stored in airtight bags for up to two weeks.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens